Meet the State Board Member: Jerry Owens

Jerry Owens
Association Director

A man whose name is practically synonymous with Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind, Jerry Owens got his first taste of Odyssey in the 1989-1990 season.

Jerry once asked his wife Darlene how she thought Odyssey has affected his life. Her response? “How hasn’t it?”

“I cannot do enough to pay back to Odyssey for what it has done for my family,“ says Jerry, whose children competed on teams throughout the 90s and early 2000s.

Hailing from the North Central region, where he lives in Cogan Station, Jerry is currently our Association Director. In addition to bringing a vast amount of experience and wisdom to the board’s decision making, Jerry has served on the finance committee to help keep our organization financially sound. In the past, he also has been an assistant problem captain for problem 2.

Jerry has judged at the regional level, in three different states, and at World Finals for several years. He once served as our state tournament director, which was a massive undertaking when the tournament left its long-time home in Altoona to rotate around the state.

“Enjoy these days,” Jerry says. “Learn from these days. Take the Odyssey spirit with you and use it for the rest of your life. Pass it on to others.”

Jerry has a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University, and he has a job doing just that at a foundry. In addition to Odyssey of the Mind, Jerry also volunteers with Cub Scouts.

Jerry can be reached at associationdirector@paodyssey.com.

Thank you for everything you do to bring Odyssey of the Mind to thousands of students across the state of Pennsylvania, Jerry!